Electric refrigerator



I 0 t n 6 v I Attorneys March 4, 19 1. c. E. EPPERSON ELECTRICREFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nunnn'unnn" March 4,1941. Q E. EPPERSON 2,233,975

ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 29, 1939 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J72}. 2 /5/Z .9 I

A ttomeys Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

while agitating the same under operation of the usual motor of therefrigerator.

Another object is to provide for such refrigerator a simply constructedice-cream freezing assembly which may be readily incorporated in anddetached from the usual upper coil unit, together with a drive betweenthe motor of the refrigerator and said assembly readily controlled fromthe exterior of the refrigerator.

To the accomplishment of the above and subordinate objectspresentlyappearing, a prefered embodiment of my invention has beenillustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in thesucceeding description, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In'said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical central section of a refrigeratorequipped with the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the freezing unit having myimproved ice-cream freezing assembly therein,

Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and with the freezingassembly detached from, the coil frame,

Figure 4 is a view in rear end elevation of the bearing frame, partlybroken away and shown in section,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the rear end of thecylindrical container,

Figure 6 is a view in front elevation of the driving chuck, and

Figure 7 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 1'I of Figure3.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, I have illustrated therein thepreferred embodiment of my invention as forming part of the equipment ofa well-known type of electrical refrigerator including the cabinet I,storage compartment 2 adapted to be closed by the door 3, a bottomcompartment 4 for the operating mechanism which, in this instance,includes a motor 5 having a vertically disposed armature shaft 6, andthe usual coil unit I in the upper part of the compartment 2 forming arectangular freezing chamber therein open. at its front and rear endsand usually utilized for freezing trays of ice cubes and the like, theunit I in this instance, having an inner lining 8.

The freezing unit comprises a bearing frame 9 of rectangular open formand of substantially the same length and width as the interior of the 5coil unit I, said frame including a front end III,

a rear end II, and sides I2 having longitudinally extending guide-waysI3 therein for receiving guide ribs It provided on the inner face of thelining a and whereby said frame may be slid 10 into said unit 'I forsuspension therein by the guides I4. The front end In of the frame 9 isprovided with a circular opening I0 centrally thereof for the insertioninto said frame of a cylindrical container for ice-cream and presentlydescribed in detail. In the rear end of the frame 9 is a driving chuckfor the container comprising a spindle I5 journalled in said rear endcentrally thereof, and a dished disk-like head I5 on the front end ofthe spindle provided with a diametrical key I6 on the front facethereof. A lock nut I6 threaded onto the spindle I5 in therear of theend II provides for retaining the chuck in position against endwisemovement. A hexagonal nut II threaded onto the rear extremity of saidspindle I5 provides the driven element of a clutch for driving the chuckand presently further described.

The container I8 is of cylindrical form and of proper diameter to fitendwise into the frame 9 by way of the opening Ill. The front end of thecontainer I8 is open and the rear end closed and provided with adiametrical groove I9 therein, said rear end'fitting in the head I5 andthe groove I9 receiving the key It whereby the chuck and container areconnected in driving and "driven relation. The front end of thecontainer I8 is closed by a cap 20 having a central outwardly tapering,external trunnion 2| thereon, said cap being detachably threaded ontosaid container. The trunnion 2I is adapted to fit in a bearing socket 22provided in a bar 23 hinged at one end, as at 24, to the front end Inadjacent one side of the frame'9 and having its other end longitudinallyslotted, as at 25, to re 45 ceive a thumb screw 26 threaded into saidend I0 adjacent the other side of the container 9. The socket 22 isprovided internally with suitable -bearings ,21 for rotatably supportingthe trunnion 2|. l 1

The container I8 is provided therein with a removable agitator assemblycomprising longitudinally extending radial blades 28 having their endssuitably secured to a pair of front and rear rings 29, 30, of the properdiameter to fit within 55 the container l8, said blades extending inparal- -lel relation and being equi-distantly spaced around the innerwall of said container l8. The ring 30 is provided with an edge slot 3|therein for engaging a suitable key lug 32 on the inner wall of thecontainer l8 whereby said agitator assembly is anchored to the containerfor rotation therewith.

Coming now to the drive, in the rear of the unit I, and motor 5, is avertically disposed driven shaft ,33 having its upper end journalled inthe lower portion of a suitable bearing bracket 34 secured, as at 35, tothe inner wall of the freezing compartment 3. Fast on the upper end ofthe shaft 33 is a bevel gear 38 meshing with a bevel gear 31 fastonthere'ar end of a clutch spindle 38 journalled in said bracket 34 inaxial alignment with the spindle l5 and having a front end hexagonalsocket 38 for fitting over the beforementioned nut l1 and forming thedriving member of a clutch of which the nut I'I forms the "drivenelement.

The lower end of the shaft 33 is journalled in a bearing frame 40suitably secured to and upstanding from the motor 5, said end of theshaft having fast thereon a bevel gear 41 meshing with a bevel gear 42journalled in one side of the frame 48 and adapted to be driven by aclutch element 43 of any suitable form 'endwise slidable to engage anddisengage a driving clutch element 44 fast on a shaft 45 journalled inthe other side of the frame 40 and adapted to be driven by a pair ofbevel gears 46, 41, fast thereon and on the armature shaft 8,respectively. A suitable clutch shifter arm 48 is pivoted, as at 49 inthe frame 40 and operatively connected to the clutch element 43 to movethe same endwise. A clutch shifting rod 50 is operatively connected tothe arm 48, as at 5|, said rod extending to the front wall of thecompartment 4 and being connected to a hand-grip 52 slidably mounted insaid wall for manipulation from outside the refrigerator.

The operation ofmy invention will be readily understood. With the motor5 energized, and the described clutch elements 43, 44, engaged undermanipulation of the hand-grip 52 and clutch rod 58, the motor isoperatively connected to the chuck shank I5 through the describeddriving connection to rotate the container l8 7 in the coil unit I andthereby eifect freezing of the contents of the container while suchcontents are being agitated by the blades 28. By removing the thumbscrew 26 and swinging the bar 23 on its hinge 24 outwardly, the socket22 may be removed from the trunnion 21 of the container l8 and saidcontainer removed from the [bearing frame 9 for access to the contentsthereof. By merely pulling outwardly on the bearing frame 9, the entirefreezing assembly may be removed from the coil unit I so that the lattermay be utilized for other purposes. In this connection, when thefreezing assembly is removed, as described, the described drive maycontainer.

be disconnected from the motor by disengagin the clutch elements 48, 44,so that the motor may be used for operating the refrigerator without anyextra load thereon.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suflice to chamber of a refrigeratorhaving an open front end and longitudinal guides along the side wallsthereof, of a frame slidably mounted on said guides for movement intoand out of said chamber and having an open top, bottom and front ends, arotatable chuck in the rear end of said frame including a driven spindleextending outwardly of said rear end for coupling to a drive and adished head on said spindle provided with a diametrical key therein, acylindrical container in said frame having open and closed front andrear ends, respectively, the latter fitting in said head and having adiametrical keyway therein for receiving said key, a closure cap for theopen end of the container having an axial trunnion, and a keeper bar onthe front end of the frame to be swung into and from crosswise positionrelative to said front end of the frame and having a bearing therein foraccommodating the trunnion,v when swung into crosswise position. v

-2. The combination with an ice-tray receiving chamber of a refrigeratorhaving an open front end and longitudinal guides along the side wallsthereof, of a frame slidably mounted on said guides for movement intoand out of said chamber and having an open top, bottom and front ends, arotatable chuck in the rear end of said frame including a driven spindleextending outwardly of said rear end for coupling to a drive and adished head on said spindle provided with a diametrical key therein, acylin-.

drical container in said frame having open and closed front and rearends, respectively, the latter fitting in said head and having adiametrical keyway therein for receiving said key, a closure cap for theopen end of the container having an axial trunnion, and a keeper bar onthe front end of the frame to be swung into and from crosswise positionrelative to said front end of the frame and having a bearing therein foraccommodating the trunnion when swung into crosswise position, and anagitating unit in said a container comprising a pair of rings and bladesfixed to said rings, one of said rings being slidably keyed to saidcontainer for rotation of said unit thereby and removal of the unit fromthe CARL E. EPPERSON.

